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Illustration for “The wrong word”

Spanish story with translation · A2 · 15 lines

Una palabra equivocada The wrong word

Comic · 8 panels

Panel 1 of 8 for “The wrong word”: Last week I went to a store downtown to buy a present. I saw some very pretty cups on the counter. I picked one up and broke it by accident.

  1. La semana pasada fui a una tienda del centro para comprar un regalo.

    Last week I went to a store downtown to buy a present.

  2. Vi unas tazas muy bonitas en el mostrador. Cogí una y, sin querer, la rompí.

    I saw some very pretty cups on the counter. I picked one up and broke it by accident.

Panel 2 of 8 for “The wrong word”: All the customers looked at me. I was really embarrassed. I apologized to the saleswoman. Very nervous, I pronounced this sentence: "I'm sorry, I'm very pregnant." (woman speaking)

  1. Todos los clientes me miraron. Me dio mucha vergüenza.

    All the customers looked at me. I was really embarrassed.

  2. Pedí perdón a la dependienta. Muy nerviosa, pronuncié esta frase: «Lo siento, estoy muy embarazada».

    I apologized to the saleswoman. Very nervous, I pronounced this sentence: "I'm sorry, I'm very pregnant." (woman speaking)

Panel 3 of 8 for “The wrong word”: Then something very strange happened. The saleswoman looked at me in surprise: "Congratulations!" She didn't let me pay for the cup. She gave me a chair, a glass of water and a small…

  1. Entonces sucedió algo muy raro. La dependienta me miró sorprendida: «¡Enhorabuena!»

    Then something very strange happened. The saleswoman looked at me in surprise: "Congratulations!"

  2. No me dejó pagar la taza. Me dio una silla, un vaso de agua y un regalo pequeño «para el bebé».

    She didn't let me pay for the cup. She gave me a chair, a glass of water and a small present "for the baby."

Panel 4 of 8 for “The wrong word”: What baby? I didn't understand anything, but I didn't ask any questions: I said thank you and left. In the afternoon I was at a bar with Lucía and told the whole story.

  1. ¿Qué bebé? No entendí nada, pero no hice preguntas: di las gracias y salí.

    What baby? I didn't understand anything, but I didn't ask any questions: I said thank you and left.

  2. Por la tarde estuve en un bar con Lucía y conté toda la historia.

    In the afternoon I was at a bar with Lucía and told the whole story.

Panel 5 of 8 for “The wrong word”: Lucía explained the mistake to me. "Embarazada" doesn't mean "avergonzada": it means you're going to have a baby! How embarrassing! It turns out I mixed up a Spanish word with an…

  1. Lucía me explicó el error. «Embarazada» no significa «avergonzada»: ¡significa que vas a tener un bebé!

    Lucía explained the mistake to me. "Embarazada" doesn't mean "avergonzada": it means you're going to have a baby!

  2. ¡Qué vergüenza! Resulta que confundí una palabra española con una inglesa y metí la pata.

    How embarrassing! It turns out I mixed up a Spanish word with an English one and put my foot in it.

Panel 6 of 8 for “The wrong word”: Two days later I went to the store again: I had to clear up the misunderstanding. "Actually, I'm not pregnant," I explained. "I'm embarrassed. I regret the confusion." (woman speaking)

  1. Dos días después fui otra vez a la tienda: tuve que aclarar el malentendido.

    Two days later I went to the store again: I had to clear up the misunderstanding.

  2. «En realidad no estoy embarazada», expliqué. «Estoy avergonzada. Lamento la confusión».

    "Actually, I'm not pregnant," I explained. "I'm embarrassed. I regret the confusion." (woman speaking)

Panel 7 of 8 for “The wrong word”: The saleswoman was very kind: "It's OK, it's a very common mistake." I paid for the broken cup. And the present "for the baby"? She didn't take it: "It's for you." (formal)

  1. La dependienta fue muy amable: «No pasa nada, es un error muy típico».

    The saleswoman was very kind: "It's OK, it's a very common mistake."

  2. Pagué la taza rota. ¿Y el regalo «para el bebé»? Ella no lo cogió: «Es para usted».

    I paid for the broken cup. And the present "for the baby"? She didn't take it: "It's for you." (formal)

Panel 8 of 8 for “The wrong word”: Lucía still laughs at me. It was a ridiculous mistake, but I'm never going to forget that word.

  1. Lucía todavía se ríe de mí. Fue un error ridículo, pero nunca voy a olvidar esa palabra.

    Lucía still laughs at me. It was a ridiculous mistake, but I'm never going to forget that word.

Grammar for this text

A false friend. Embarazada looks like English "embarrassed", but it means "pregnant". "I'm embarrassed" in Spanish is estoy avergonzada or me da vergüenza.

Me dio mucha vergüenza — "I was really embarrassed", word for word "it gave me a lot of embarrassment". Dio is the preterite of dar. The same verb in its literal meaning: me dio una silla — "she gave me a chair".

Fui and fue. Fui a una tienda — "I went to a store" (ir: a and a place come next). Fue muy amable, fue un error ridículo — "she was", "it was" (ser).

Di las gracias — "I said thank you": dar las gracias. No hice preguntas — "I didn't ask any questions": in Spanish you "make" questions (hacer preguntas). Tuve que + verb — "I had to".

Sin querer — "by accident", word for word "without wanting": sin querer, la rompí — "I broke it by accident". Metí la pata — "I put my foot in it", word for word "I stuck my paw in": you say it when you've said or done something silly.

No me dejó pagar — "she didn't let me pay": dejar + verb means "to let".

Se ríe de mí — "she laughs at me": reírse de; after a preposition, "me" is mí.

Words and grammar of the unit: Apologize and explain what happened.

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